2025 Human Rights Awards Presented to Five Recipients
Four individuals and one group were recognized with Nova Scotia Human Rights Awards at an event December 10 in Halifax.
The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission presents the awards annually on or around International Human Rights Day to acknowledge the courageous work of Nova Scotians who advance human rights in the province.
“The work of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission to promote and protect human rights is part of a much larger system in Nova Scotia, one shaped by people who choose equity and fairness in their daily actions,” said Joseph Fraser, Director and CEO, Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. “Human rights advancements rarely appear fully formed. They grow from the steady, grassroots efforts of individuals and community organizations, like the remarkable recipients we recognize today.”
The youth award was presented to Evan Treffler, Halifax, for his leadership in advancing mental health equity, inclusion and youth empowerment across Nova Scotia.
Kevin Hooper, Halifax, received the individual award in recognition of his leadership and commitment to advancing equity, accessible housing and community-led human rights solutions.
Andre Anderson, Halifax, received an award named in honour of the late Burnley Allan (Rocky) Jones for his work to enhance racial equity and community empowerment rooted in the lived experiences and cultural legacy of African Nova Scotians.
Sherry Pictou, Bear River First Nation, was presented the Wel-lukwen Award in recognition of her leadership in advancing Mi'kmaq rights, revitalizing traditional governance, and confronting racism and sexism.
L'Arche Cape Breton received the group/organization award to recognize its decades of work on inclusion, dignity and human rights as it builds vibrant communities across Cape Breton.
Evan Treffler
At just twenty years old, Evan Treffler stands as one of Nova Scotia’s most committed young advocates for mental health, inclusion, and human rights. A Medical Sciences student at Dalhousie University, he has already shown a rare steadiness of purpose. He leads with lived experience, with compassion, and with a clear belief that inclusion and support of individuals living with mental health challenges is a human right rooted in dignity, equity, and access. His work strengthens inclusion across campus and helps young people support one another while building communities that feel connected rather than scattered.
As Co-President of Dalhousie’s chapter of Jack.org, Evan guides one of the province’s most active student organizations. Under his leadership, their outreach reaches tens of thousands of students each month, carrying messages of belonging, allyship, and accessibility. He has shaped events and campaigns that bring people together across cultures and identities, inviting dialogue that feels open rather than guarded. In this work he helps create a campus culture where every voice is valued and every person feels they belong.
Evan also serves as a Jack Talks Speaker, offering peer-led presentations that encourage students to seek help, challenge stigma, and support each other with care. His talks open space for conversations about identity, resilience, and community. He makes it clear that mental well-being is inseparable from human dignity, and that real advocacy begins with listening.
As Dalhousie’s first Wellness Champion across all Halifax campuses, he represents more than fifteen thousand students and works closely with staff, equity offices, and student leaders to ensure that supports meet students where they are. Through HealthyMindsNS, he is linked with institutions across the province, contributing to a broader movement for student wellness. His projects focus on prevention, early intervention, and the simple act of making help feel accessible. His leadership is shaped by connection, reminding students that they deserve to feel seen and supported.
Evan has also represented Dalhousie as a Social Advocate for Health Canada’s Multi-Substance Risk Reduction Campaign, engaging youth across Nova Scotia in conversations about harm reduction and mental health. His outreach encourages honest dialogue, grounded in compassion and accurate information, so communities can be safer and more supportive.
Evan’s leadership is both personal and purposeful. He draws on his own experiences to build trust, invite openness, and remind students that wellness and belonging are rights to be protected for everyone. He does this while studying full time and working across multiple roles, always with a sense of perseverance and service. His example shows what youth leadership can look like in our province. It is steady, generous, and rooted in the belief that communities grow stronger when we care for one another.
Kevin Hooper
Kevin Hooper represents what it looks like when human rights are lived, not just declared. His work at United Way Maritimes is only one expression of a much larger commitment.
Human rights form the ground he stands on and the way he carries himself in every space. His contributions are not performative or transactional. They come from conviction, from accountability, and from a belief that a just and equitable society is possible when people act with integrity.
Kevin’s commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and meaningful reconciliation is present in every decision he makes. He shows up in community with humility and listens for the right leadership rather than assuming it is his. He creates space for others when a different voice is needed. He ensures that the work he leads is shaped by people who have lived the issues directly. His approach reveals what principled leadership looks like when ego is set aside.
Kevin is a lifelong learner who continues to unlearn, relearn, and grow in order to serve communities more effectively. He believes deeply that housing is a human right, and he has taken bold action to turn that belief into real solutions. His leadership has helped create Nova Scotia’s first tiny home community for people experiencing homelessness. He has guided the design of a community land trust model for Halifax that is now moving forward with a community advisory committee. He has shaped a new modified shared equity housing model that is about to welcome its first residents. He has also served for many years on the Housing and Homelessness Partnership and helped grow its annual housing symposium into a gathering of more than four hundred participants. These are tangible contributions that will improve lives for years to come.
Kevin also understands that human rights require policy change, not only program change. His leadership in creating the East Coast Public Policy Training Institute reflects that understanding. The institute was designed through an equity-informed lens and developed in meaningful partnership with the Delmore Buddy Daye Learning Institute, an African Nova Scotian led organization. He knew that those most impacted by the inequities needed to guide the work. The institute stands as a clear example of how policy leadership can advance human rights.
Kevin’s influence extends across Canada. He shares knowledge generously with non-profit organizations and governments so that others can adapt solutions to their communities. He does this without seeking credit. He opens doors, offers his expertise, and shares resources so others can lead in their own right. His impact is measured not only in what he achieves but in the way he achieves it. He is animated by justice, not recognition.
Andre Anderson
Andre Anderson embodies the spirit and purpose of Dr. Burnley Allan Rocky Jones through a life shaped by truth-telling, community commitment, and a belief in the power of storytelling to move societies toward justice.
He understands that lasting change begins when people speak honestly about who they are, where they come from, and what must be confronted to build a fair and equitable Nova Scotia.
Andre has dedicated his career to ensuring that the stories of African Nova Scotians are seen, heard, and understood on their own terms. His work brings forward histories that have been overlooked, voices that have been misunderstood, and contributions that deserve recognition across the country.
Through Anderson Films Inc., Andre uses film not simply as creative expression, but as a form of public service. His documentaries Standing Tall, Under Pressure, and A Governor’s Journey offer powerful portraits of Black excellence, resilience, and leadership. These works highlight figures such as Senator Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard, Dr. Késa Munroe-Anderson, and The Honourable Dr. Mayann Francis. Each film reflects his commitment to representation and his belief that visibility can shift perspectives and inspire new generations to see themselves as agents of change.
Andre’s leadership extends well beyond his artistic work. He mentors youth through the Delmore Buddy Daye Learning Institute and the Halifax Connector Program, offering guidance rooted in heritage, pride, and possibility. He has spoken at provincial conferences, led workshops, and used every opportunity to encourage learning, dialogue, and self-determination. His civic involvement has included service on community boards such as the Halifax Community Investment Fund and the Upper Hammonds Plains Community Development Association. He has even sought elected office, reflecting his belief that meaningful systemic change begins close to home.
Dr. Sherry Pictou
Dr. Sherry Pictou is a leader whose work reflects a lifelong commitment to justice, resurgence, and the strength of Mi'kmaq governance and knowledge. Her contributions span community leadership, international advocacy, academic scholarship, and the steady work of teaching others to see the world through relationships grounded in respect. Her career stands as a clear example of how one person can help transform systems by telling the truth about history, by lifting up the voices of women, and by ensuring that Indigenous rights are understood as human rights.
Dr. Pictou has been a strong advocate for addressing racism, sexism, and colonialism. Her scholarship has deepened public understanding of how Mi'kmaq governance functioned long before imposed structures shaped by the Church and the state disrupted those systems. She has shown how these disruptions sidelined the roles of women, and she has been a key figure in recovering and restoring that knowledge. Her leadership is not theoretical. She challenged entrenched norms when she became the first woman to serve as District Chief for the Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq. Her presence in that role made visible what had always been true. Women have played central roles in Mi'kmaq political life and carry knowledge that guides communities forward.
Her influence reaches far beyond governance. Dr. Pictou is a respected voice in fisheries justice, an area where she has shown how human rights, treaty rights, and sustainability are woven together. She has consistently advocated for Mi'kmaq participation in international and national fisheries forums, pushing systems to become more equitable and more accountable. She has created spaces for dialogue between Indigenous and settler harvesters, helping people understand how fear, misinformation, and racism can shape conflict on the water. Her work invites people to see one another as human beings and to engage in solutions that honour rights while building shared futures.
She has also led important research on the experiences of fisher women, documenting the barriers they face and the sexism that limits their ability to exercise their treaty rights. Through these efforts she has helped Mi'kmaq women claim authority in a sector that has long excluded them, reinforcing the connection between gender justice and Indigenous rights.
Dr. Pictou is known internationally for her scholarship, particularly on Indigenous-led governance of natural resources. She has contributed to global discussions on food security, decolonial research methods, and Indigenous sovereignty. Her work as a Canada Research Chair at Dalhousie University has helped shape a new generation of thinkers who understand that the health of lands and waters cannot be separated from the health of communities.
She does all of this with generosity and humility. She teaches through example, through research, through mentorship, and through the everyday acts of making space for others to lead. Her work strengthens Mi'kmaq communities, honours the leadership of women, and shifts the public conversation about rights and responsibilities in our province.
L'Arche Cape Breton
For more than forty years, L’Arche Cape Breton has been a steadfast presence in Unama’ki -- centering the voices and experiences of people with intellectual disabilities and reminding communities across the Island that inclusion is not an aspiration but a shared responsibility. Since its founding in 1983, the organization has grown into a vibrant network of homes, programs, and relationships that place dignity, autonomy, and belonging at the heart of everyday life. Today L’Arche Cape Breton supports more than ninety people, including twenty six Core Members who live in six homes, and many others who participate in seven-day programs across Inverness, Victoria, and Richmond counties. The scale of the work is significant, but its strength comes from something more elemental. It comes from relationships grounded in respect and shaped by the understanding that people with intellectual disabilities contribute immeasurably to the social and cultural life of this province.
The mission of L’Arche Cape Breton reflects this understanding. They work to make known the gifts of people with intellectual disabilities through relationships that transform everyone involved. They foster communities that adapt to changing needs while staying true to the values that have guided them for generations. They engage across cultures and backgrounds in service of a more human society. These commitments are visible in the way the organization leads. Their influence stretches well beyond those they support directly. L’Arche is widely known as a strong advocate for removing barriers to participation, for highlighting the agency and autonomy of people with intellectual disabilities, and for reinforcing that equality is inseparable from community life.
Their leadership has been particularly clear in their work related to the Human Rights Remedy in Nova Scotia. They have helped the public understand the history behind the remedy and the systemic discrimination it seeks to address. At their annual SpringFest gathering, community members presented a moving tableau that traced the story of support for people with intellectual disabilities and the changes that led to the human rights decision. It was not simply a performance. It was public education in its most accessible and humane form. L’Arche has been unwavering in its message that the remedy is essential and that its implementation must remain a living conversation.
L’Arche Cape Breton’s impact extends beyond disability inclusion. The organization has welcomed and employed people from around the world and helped many newcomers build permanent lives in Cape Breton. They celebrate multiculturalism and strengthen community ties through simple acts of hospitality and shared work. In 2024 they were recognized with a Welcoming Spirit Award from the Cape Breton Local Immigration Partnership, the first organization on the Island to receive this honour. That recognition reflects their broader contribution to a more welcoming and inclusive Cape Breton.
L’Arche Cape Breton has spent decades showing what human rights look like when they are practiced in daily life. Their leadership is quiet at times, but it is consistent, generous, and deeply rooted in community. Today we honour L’Arche Cape Breton with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Award in the Group and Organization category. Their example continues to guide this province toward a more just and inclusive future.